This week marks one year since moving into our first home and what better way to celebrate the occasion than by looking back at all the progress that has been made towards personalizing this house and transforming each room into a space that feels like home and reflects who our family is.
We'll take it room by room, I'll give you the details on the changes we've made, and I'll let you in on some of my future design plans too! I didn't do a great job of taking "before" pictures when we moved in so I'll be using a combination of listing photos and my photos for my "before's". And if you love before and after pics as much as I do, check out more home tours from some of my friends at the bottom of this post!
The Entryway
Let's start with the entryway. There's not exactly a designated entryway in our home, but the previous owners created one and we did too. I wanted to create an extremely functional entryway while taking up the littlest amount of space possible. I used a long wooden bench Nathan got me for our first Christmas married and a super long wall hook organizer from Magnolia Home. To draw the eye up and add a little color to the space, Nathan hung a few red botanical prints I'd collected over the years.
I do really like our entryway and it works well for our family. We have a place to hang diaper bags and purses, our shoes can be easily tucked under the bench, and the bench itself is the perfect spot to get ready to go or stop by on our way in. However, this isn't the permanent plan.
Our big dream for this space is to open up the wall to connect the living room with the dining room behind it. I recently tracked down a gorgeous pair of vintage doors that are exactly what I was looking for and we can't wait to get them installed! Although it will most likely be awhile still before that project happens.
The Living Room
Our living room started out as a beautiful muted blue. Even though I thought it was a really pretty color, our decor fell flat in the space so I knew from be beginning it was going to have to change. This was actually the first paint change I made it the house and I was so nervous about picking the wrong color. So instead of stressing over choosing the perfect neutral, I let fate decide for me. I happened upon a nice, neutral "oops" paint at Home Depot and decided it was the one! My mom actually painted this room for me when she stayed with us when Isla was born which was so appreciated. It made us fall in love with the space and feel welcomed into our home from the moment we walk through the door.
When we moved in, I knew I wanted a really prominent space to display my big window so we have it front and center in the living room. I also hung botanical prints in a row of windows my uncle gave me above the couch.
The furniture in this room is still very much changing. This space houses so many of my favorite pieces, but right now I'll admit it's too much. There's not enough open or blank space in here, but I'm working on moving things around and finding permanent homes for everything.
The Kitchen
I don't feel like we changed a whole lot in the kitchen, but we were given a really great base to work with. I added a little decor and coordinated appliances, hung some art, and we painted the table and chairs that came with the house (another project my mom helped with). And I recovered the cushions with a more neutral fabric. We also added a vinyl runner which I feel added a lot more personality to the room.
I love our kitchen and I'm playing around with plans for an eventual big change, but haven't been able to commit to anything yet design-wise.
Bathroom 1
The downstairs bath is a space I have everything I need to makeover the space, I just haven't found the time to actually do it. I have my paints, I have art and a vintage mirror, I have new hardware, but the only changes I've made in this bathroom are a new shower curtain and hanging some cool vintage clock doors as wall art that have been the inspiration for much of this space (or at least what it looks like in my head). The makeover is coming very soon and I'm excited to bring to life what I've been imagining for months!
Bathroom 2
The upstairs bathroom on the other hand is by far the most dramatic transformation in our house. I love my neutrals, but I wanted to take this little space and go as big and bold as possible! I wanted to mix my usual vintage-inspired look with something a little tropical and with a bit of a regal, old Hollywood glam vibe. I found the gorgeous yellow shower curtain at Walmart and was head over heels for it immediately. They only had the longest option available when I ordered, but I love the longer curtain and think it makes the space feel taller and more luxurious.
I debated the color for a long time. Neutral? Pink? Muted light blue? Orange? In the end, I went with a royal peacock and I love. it! It was a really tricky color to paint and it didn't help that the bathroom had endless corners and nooks to paint because of the pedestal sink. I feel like this bathroom makeover is part of the reason I can't bring myself to start the other bathroom redo, I'm still recovering!
A new mirror, new cabinet (which was a really cool DIY you should totally check out), a couple shelves, and some awesome decor and this bathroom was complete! Ok, there might be a couple minor things I still want to do in here, but the space is basically complete and I love starting and ending my day in this fabulously bold space!
Isla's Room
Isla's room is where a lot of my current inspiration has been directed. If you've been following the process, you'll know it's a very warm and whimsical room with lots of fairytale/storybook details. She inherited a few items from Emmitt's nursery like the crib, bird mobile, and floral curtains, but I've put a little twist on each to make them fit her space. I still have some little projects left in this space, but it's really come a long way and is a dreamy little room to hang out in.
Emmitt's Room
Emmitt's room has been a really fun one and was my priority when we moved in. I wanted to make the transition into the new house fun and easy for him and also felt it was important to give him a super cool "big boy" room before his little sister arrived to make him feel special and avoid any jealousy over having to share or hand down his "baby" things. My mom helped a lot with his space too. She painted the room, helped me repaint his bed a fun blue, and she and my stepdad built Emmitt an amazing rock wall and loft in his closet!
I wanted to include all kinds of masculine, vintage details, yet still make it a fun, kid-friendly room that can grow with him. I'll have a blog post dedicated to his room coming soon because there's just too many cool details to tell you about here. This is by far the most fun room to spend time in and the whole family loves being in here!
My Room
The master bedroom is the most recent project we've been working on and it's come a long way! It's much more my style now and I absolutely love spending time in my room! We added a gorgeous gallery wall and reading nook in the dormer and we just upgraded all our bedding which has helped make the space look more cohesive and styled. The change that made the biggest impact in this space was honestly changing the paint color. Paint is a powerful thing and it's amazing the difference it can make in a space! We traded the muted green for a bright, warm, white and it instantly elevated the space and made the design direction of the room a lot clearer.
What's Still on the List?
A lot has changed in just a year and I've loved every step of the process. (Ok, I didn't love painting that upstairs bath so much, but it was worth it in the end!) I always have projects on my list and here's a quick look at the rooms we have left to do:
The Dining Room
This is currently Nathan's office and storage from the move. Yes, I still have a few boxes to unpack and holiday bins to find a home for. I did set up my green bookshelves along the wall in this room and they look great... when they're not covered in clutter we're still finding permanent spots for. I have a definite vision for this space and am very much looking forward to the day it's a totally styled space, but for now it's nice to have a place to put things while we slowly but surely work out the organization situation in this house.
The Stairs
I have a cute little gallery wall going up the stairs that I haven't shared yet. I'm still filling it in and it's a tricky space to photograph, but you'll see it someday! I mainly added the stairs to this list because they weren't carpeted properly and I plan to rip out the carpet and....I don't know what after that, but the carpet's gotta go! We'll figure that one out later.
The Laundry Room
Our laundry room is a large closet at the top of the stairs. It didn't come with a door, just a curtain and a lot of the space really isn't used to its fullest potential. I'm always thinking up how I could rework this space so someday I'll do a full laundry room renovation, but I've gotta put a little more thought into it first.
The Deck
A lot of people prep their outdoor spaces for summer, but I have been so motivated lately to focus on getting our deck ready for beautiful fall weather! I doubt it'll come together in time this year, but I'm brainstorming what changes I should make and am keeping an eye out for the perfect deck furniture and accessories.
The Closets
The majority of the closets in our home really don't do much for storage. We don't have a garage so we have to make the most of every space and I would love to customize just about every hall, bedroom, and linen closet in the house to get the most out of our space!
The Porch
Much like the deck, our porch is lacking in pretty much any decor. I painted our front door magenta soon after we moved in and I plan to paint it a rich yellow soon. I want to add a bench or some chairs, but am still unsure of what I'm looking for. Our stair risers could also use a new coat of paint and I'm playing around with the idea of adding a pretty tile or stencil pattern, but may just play it safe and keep them white.
It's really fun to look back and see where this house started for us and where it is now. The to do list is always growing so sometimes it feels like we haven't accomplished that much, but this helps me put everything in perspective and acknowledge everything I've worked so hard on this past year. I fall in love with this house more and more with every change and I can't wait to see how much more we're able to do in the year to come!
I love seeing how a space can completely transform over time. If you enjoy a good before/after as much as I do, check out my friends' home tours below!
